Apparatus for punching a plurality of code combinations simultaneously



H F. MAYER ETAL APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING A PLURALITY OF CODE Aug. 20, 1963 COMBINATIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Marczh 7, 1960 Fig. 2

HA N5 FERDINAND MA YER .Ffi/TZ BUTZ/(E Aw /Ways Aug. 20, 1963 H. F. MAYER ETAL 3,101,172

APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING A PLURALITY OF CODE Filed March 7, 1960 COMBINATIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.8 6?

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WWW V Aug. 20, 1963 Filed March 7, 1960 H. F. MAYER ETAL APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING A PLURALITY 0F CODE COMBINATIONS 'SIMULTANEOUSLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 HAM/5 FEED/NA ND MA YER F/Q/T Z BUTZKE Aug. 20, 1963 H F. MAYER ETAL' 3,101,172

APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING A PLURALIT F CODE COMBINATIONS SIMULII'ANEOUS Filed March 7. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I/hmmmn I v lnvcnfoks HANS FERDINAND M/Wfk FR/TZ BUTZKE United States Patent 3,101,172 APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING A PL CODE COMBKWATIONS SKMULTANEGUSLY Hans Ferdinand Mayer, Munich-Solln, and Fritz Butzke,

Beierbrunn-Buchenhain, near Munich, Germany, assignors to Siemens 8: Halsice Aktiengesellschait, Berlin. Germany, a German company Filed Mar. 7, 1964), Ser. No. 13,032 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 16, 1959 17 Claims. (Cl. 234-42) -This invention relates to perfonating apparatus.

Perforating apparatus, and in particular high-speed perforating apparatus, is frequently used in conjunction with electric calculating machines, and although such apparatus functions in a manner similar to that of perforators used in telepiinters'the latter perforators do not operate fast-enough for their utilisation in such calculatin g machines. 7

Known high=speed perforators, which utilise conventional means for controlling the punches, have only a limitedspeed of SO-to at most 100 digits per second. The

reason for this is primarily due to the time required forattracting the control magnets, and the inertia of the moving parts, such as the armature transmitting mem- :bers and the punches. These devices then, although relatively simple, are not fast enough for many purposes.

Other conventional perforators are complicated devices designed for considerably higher speeds; for instance they perforate 200 to. 300 digits per second, in the five-unit code. Such devices, however, are very complicated and extremely expensive.

It is an object of this invention to provide a highspeed perforating apparatus which will operate considerably faster than the above mentioned high-speed perforators utilising conventional punches and is yet cornparatively simple and inexpensive.

Another object of this invention is to increase the operating speed of a conventional teleprinter perforator by at least two times without involving a substantial increase of the inertia of the moving parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a perforating apparatus for simultaneously punching n code combinations including a storage arrangement for storing 11-1 of the said n code combinations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a perforating apparatus including a plurality of sets of punches the axes of which are disposed in a common plane, and which sets of punches are each conditioned to represent a coded combination and are operated simultaneously.

Another object of the invention to provide a perforating apparatus including a plurality of sets of punches the axes of which are disposed in different planes in which all of the planes are parallel to each other and in which the sets of punches are each conditioned to represent a coded combination and are operated simultaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a perforating apparatus in accondance with that mentioned in the preceding paragraph, including a tape, and in which alternate sets of the punches are disposed on opposite sides of the tape.

In order that the invention can be fully understood, preferred embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a block diagram illustrating a tape-perforator having two sets of punches,

FIG. 1a is a block diagram of a storage means of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a timing diagram in connection with the above mentioned tape-perforator,

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate two punching devices associated with different tape-transport arrangements,

Referring now to FIGURE 1 there'illustrated ata'peperfonator having a punching device including twoset's of punches Stl and S22 each set having, for instance, five punches. The punching device controls a switching device u to which are applied coded signals from, for instance, a teleprinter. The switching device may conveniently be of the type illustrated in FIGURE 2 in the United States patent specification No. 2,622,212. The switching device it connects the signals applied thereto to either a conventional storage device Sp or the set of punch-es StZ. The output of the storage deviceSp is connected to the other set of punches Stl. UIS. Letters Patent 3,03 8,654 having the same assignee discloses such a set of punches as can be used for the instant invention. Each of the connections illustrated in this figure, except that connection between the punching device and the switching device it, is actually constituted byfive wires (in parallel with each other), and this construction is represented by five short crossed leads on each of the relevant connections.

The five-fold connection is shown in FIG. 1a constitut- .ing a portion of FIG. 1. The storage means Sp are shown in FIG. la as being comprisedo-f five conventional bistable flip flopsSl, 52, 53, 54 and 55 such as, for example, illustrated in US. Letters Patent to Anderson et el. 2,622,212. Storage elements of this" kind are widely known and used. One input of each hip hop is connected to switch u, i.e., to one series of output 'ilines thereof. The other input of each nip-flop is connected to a reset, operable, for example, simultaneously to a switch-"over of switch u. One output of each flip flop is connected to an exciter magnet pertaining to punch set 'St there are five exciter magnets in each punch set (see magnets '9, 1'0, 11, 12 and 13 in Patent 3,038,654 supra).

The perforator operates as follows. Assume that initially two successive coded signalslare applied t6 the switching device u, thecontact of which is in the position illustrated in FIGURE 1. The first of the coded signals (five in number) are applied to the storage device before, or soon after, the tape advances through the punching device. At a later period during the advance of the tape the switching device u is conditioned in a manner such that its said contact changes over and the second of the coded signals (also five in number) are applied directly to the punching device. The instant at which the switching device it is conditioned may be determined by a contact responsive to a cam disposed on a transmission shaft in the punching device. The contents of the storage means Sp are transferred to the set of punches 811 before the second signals are applied to the punches StZ.

' The arrangement is such that both sets of punches are electromagnetically adjusted during the advance or the tape and the period of such adjustment is iong enough to permit the use of conventional control 'rrrernbers, eigt, punch tongues, in the punching device. All the punches, that is, both sets of punches Stl and St2 are operated simultaneously. This can be carried out in using common driving means. Since the punches can be as disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,038,654 (supra), this can be car-'- ried out in gearing the two shafts to a common drive or the like, and in having the respective cam shafts (1 in the said patent) rotating in phase-synchronism.

Referring now to the timing diagram in FIGURE 2 each rotation of the transmission shaft is designated in row a by one digit. The advance of the tape in the first half of each rotation is illustrated in row 12, and the punching operation effected during the last half of each rotation is illustrated in row c. The storage of the said first coded signals is effected during the preceding revolution of the transmission shaft as shown by the shaded pulse representation in row d. The application of the said second coded signals is effected at a later period which is also represented in row a, by the unshaded pulse representation. The shaded columns llZ and 22 in rows e and 7 represent the respective periods during which the electromagnets of the punches Stl andStQ, are conditioned prior to the punching operation.

Turning for a moment to FIG. 8, there is shown how the invention can be adapted to more than two sets of punches. There are shown three sets of punches St St and S1 Punch set St here is directly connected to one five-position terminal of three-operating-position switch 'u The other two sets of punches, St; and Sfz, are respectively-connected to two storage means. Sp(i) and Sp(II) which in turn are connected to two other positions of switch u each position actually governing also five wires. The punches are likewise driven in strict phase synchronism, and actuation of the switch u can be controlled therefrom in a conventional manner (cam operated switch, etc.) as stated above.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 there is illustrated a constructional arrangement \of a punching device 1 accommodating a doublewidth tape 3. The tape is transmitted along a guide means 7 by a sprocket 5 which rotates with a shaft 6 thereon. The teeth in the sprocket 5 engage with transport holes 4 punched into the tape. The punching device is provided with two sets of punches arranged in one plane and adapted to punch a plurality of columns 2. Each set of punches punch holes in the five-unit code, in the embodiment shown, but the tape and guide means could be widened to accommodate six orseven-un-it codes if the requisite number of additional punches were provided.

Since a double width? tape has a larger mass and therefore a greater frictional force opposing its motion over the guide means, compared with a narrow single width tape, the sprocket wheel is therefore heavily loaded. It is advisable, therefore, when using double-width tape to utilise a transport means having two sprocket wheels and such an arrangement is illustrated in FIGURE 4. A tape 13 is transported through a punching device 11 which punches into the tape rows of holes 12 which include two code combinations. Two rows of transport holes 14 and 15 lie symmetrically about the centre of the tape and are displaced so that the load of the tape is low even when it is advancing rapidly. The drive is imparted by sprocket wheels 16 and 17 which engage in the holes 14 and 15 respectively.

The sprocket wheels illustrated in the embodiments shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 may alternatively be replaced by gripping devices or by friction cylinders with pressure rollers. As with the embodiments having sprocket wheels and friction cylinders the utilisation of the gripping devices also possesses the advantages of uniform tape load and accurate tape guidance.

With the double width tape used in the punching devices illustrated in FIGURES -3 and 4 it is evident that scanning devices used to detect the coded combinations of holes must also have a correspondingly wide tape guiding means and must be capable of scanning two or more coded combinations of holes simultaneously. Thus, when scanning the perforated tape, each second coded combination, :or in the case of more than two coded combinations n-l out Olf a total of n coded combinations, must be stored if the said coded combinations are to be available at the output of the scanning device successively in time. The scanning devices may have the same system of tape transport as that described above, thus enabling the tape to be guided accurately and the load thereot to be uniformly distributed.

Referring now to FIGURE 5 there is illustrated a -further punching device the utilisation of which avoids the need for storing the said coded combinations in the scanning device. In this figure two sets of punches 23 and 24 operate in opposition to each other. The latter two punches are disposed in housings 21 and 22, respectively, and a single width tape 27 has perforations Zfimade by the punches 24, and further perforations 25 made by the punches 2.3. The perforations 26 are punched at a position ahead of the perforations 25, with reference to the direction of transport of the tape (indicated by an arrow thereon). The two punches op crate simultaneously and the punching device is connected in a circuit similar to that shown in FIGURE 1, that is, including the storage means Sp and the switching device u. The perfiorated tape passes through the punching device in a horizontal direction and the plane of the tape is vertical. The sets of punches are thus arranged in a horizontal mode with the plane containing the axes of the punches disposed vertically. Alternatively, the sets of punches may be arranged in a vertical mode in which case the plane of the tape would be horizontal. The former mode of use is particularly advantageous if the tape perforating apparatus is to be built into an operating table since the insertion of the tape from above into the gap 28 between the two sets of punches makes the apparatus particularly easy [to handle. The insertion of the tape is further facilitated when friction cyilnders are used as the tape transport system. Such friction rollers are shown in, FIG. .1 of US. Letters Patent 2,883,187 and described therein. Provision is made for the pressure rollers to be opened out, and the tape may then be readily inserted into, or lifted away tfrorn, the :gap 2s. The advance of the tape may then begin immediately, with the initial coded information being punched into the tape. When sprocket wheels are used the advance is at first inaccurate since the sprockets may not line up with the transpont perforations. Only when the sprocket wheels engage with the transport perforations does the advance become accurate. It is therefore advisable in this case to initially apply idling signals (without infiormation) to the punching devices.

Referring now to FIGURE 6 there is illustrated a perspective View of the bottom of the punching device shown in FIGURE 5. The tape petiorations, normally paper, are allowed to fall under gravity through waste channels 36 and 37.

Referring now to FIGURE 7 there is illustrated a section through the punching device shown in FIGURE 5. Two punch plates 31 and 32- each house guides 33 for punches 35 and opposite each of these :guides is a die 34-. if one of the punches 35 is pressed through a paper tape 27 it punches out a paper disc which sticks in the respective die 34 until it is pushed :fonwand by the next disc. During the course of further punching operations the paper discs successively pass into widened channels 34a at the ends of the dies and from there they are ejected through the waste channels 36 or 37. it can readily be appreciated that the paper waste may tall under gravity into a waste container after being ejected into the said channels 36 or 37.

In the arrangements illustrated in FIGURES 5 to 7 the (tape must, of course, always be advanced by two punching positions. Scanning devices for detecting penforations made in the tape used in such a penforating apparatus must also be constructed with a corresponding tape transport feed.

In the preferred embodiments illustrated only two sets of punches have been utilised but it is within the scope of the invention to provide more than two such sets equally spaced from each other, and all of which are 5 arranged to be actuated simultaneously. In this case a langer capacity storage means may be required and the tape perforated must be advanced by an amount equal to the number of punching positions.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Perforating apparatus comprising a storage means, n sets of punches, means for actuating the 11 sets of punches simultaneously, switching means and means for applying 11 code combinations successively to a common input of the switching means, wherein the switching means is conditioned to apply 11-1 of the code combinations to said storage means and apply the n code combination to the n one of said sets of punches so that the n set of punches is conditioned to represent the code combination applied thereto, and wherein said storage means is adapted to condition n-'1 of the said sets of punches so that each set represents one of the code combinations.

2. Perforating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said n sets of punches are disposed adjacent to each other in a common plane across the width of the medium to be perforated.

3. Perforating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the n sets of punches is disposed across the Width of the medium to be perforated, wherein each of the sets of punches has its axes disposed in a different plane,

wherein all of the planes are equally spaced and are parallel to each other, and wherein the said medium is transported a distance equal to the total distance between n+1 planes between each actuation of the punches.

4. Perforating apparatus as claimed in'claim 3,- wherein alternate sets of punches are disposed on opposite sides of the said medium. a

5. Perforating apparatus comprising a storage means, first and second sets of punches, means for actuating both sets of punches simultaneously, switching means and means for applying first ,and second code combinations successively to a common input of the switching means, wherein the switching means apply the first code combination to said storage means and apply the second code combination to said second set of punches so that the said second set is conditioned to represent the said second code combination, and wherein said storage means is adapted to condition said first set of punches so that it represents the said first code combination.

6. Perforating apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the two sets of punches are disposed adjacent to each other in a common plane across the width of the medium to be perforated.

7. Perforating apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the two sets of punches is disposed across the width of the medium to be perforated, wherein each set of punches has its axes disposed in a different plane, wherein the two planes are parallel to each other, and wherein the said medium is transported a distance equal to twice the distance between the two planes after each actuation of the punches;

, 8. Perforating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the two sets of punches are disposed on opposite sides of the medium.

9. Tape-perforating apparatus comprising a storage means, means for applying a plurality of code combinations successively to a common terminal of an input' means for'applying at least one of the code combinations to said storage means, at least one set of punches conditioned by said storage means so that said set represents said combination applied thereto, a further set of punches, means operated directly by said input means for conditioning the further set of punches to represent a further one of the code combinations, and perforating means including said sets of punches and including two mutually spaced tape transport wheels located on a common shaft and operative to feed the tape through said perforating means and means for actuating the said sets of punches simultaneously.

l0. Tape-perforating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the tape is provided with a plurality of transport perforations, wherein the tape transport wheels comprise multi-toothed sprockets, and wherein the tape is fed through the said perforating means by the teeth on the sprockets rotating therewith and engaging in the said transport perforations.

l1. Tape-perforating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the tape transport wheels comprise pressure rollers, and wherein thetape is fed through the said perforating means by the rotation of the said pressure rollers against the tape. I v

'12. Tape-perforating apparatus comprising a switching means, a first set of punches, storage means connected between said switching means and said first set of punches, and a second set of punches spaced from said first set of punches and connected to said switching means, means for applying a first and second code combination successively to a common terminal of the switching means and means associated with said first and second sets of punches for causing the switching means in a first period to apply the first code combination to said storage means which conditions the first set of punches so that it represents the said combination and for causing the switching means in a second period to condition the second set of punches to represent the second code combination, further means associated with said first and second sets of punches for actuating both the sets of punches simultaneously, a tape, and means for transporting said tape through the spacing between the first and second sets of punches.

l3. Tape-perforating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first and second sets of punches have their axes disposed in different planes, wherein the tape is transported in a horizontal direction, and wherein the lateral extent of thetape is in a vertical plane perpendicular to the said planes of the axes of the first and second-sets of punches.

14. Tape perforating apparatus comprising a switchling means, a plurality of sets of punches, storage means connected between said switching means and said plurality of sets of punches, and an additional set of punches connected to said switching means, means for applying a plurality of code oomlbinations, equal in number to all the said sets of punches, successively to a common terminal of the switching means and means associated with all the sets of punches for causing the switching means in a first period to apply a plurality of the code combinations equal in number to the said plurality of sets of punches to said storage means which means conditions the plurality of sets of punches so that each set represents one of the said combinations, and for causing the switching means in a second period to icondition the additional set of punches to represent a [further one of the code com- I tape.

lbinations, furthermeans for actuating all the sets of punches simultaneously, a tape, and means for transportling said tape past the sets of punches, alternate sets of all the sets of punches Ibeing on opposite sides of the 15. Tape perforating apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the sets of punches have their axes disposed sets of punches conditioned [by said storage means so that each set represents one of the said combinations,

a further set of punches, means operated directly by'said input means for conditioning the further set of punches to represent a further code combination, means tor actuating all said sets of punches simultaneously, and means associated with the sets of punches for transporting the medium to the perforated, wherein the transporting means is adapted to condition the input means to determine the periods during which the code combinations are applied to said storage means and the further set of punches is conditioned.

17. Perforating apparatus comprising a storage means, input means for applying a code combination to said storage means, a set of punches conditioned by said storage means so that it represents the said combination, a further set of punches, means operated directly by said input means for conditioning the further set of punches to represent a further code combination, means for actuating both the sets of punches simultaneously, and means associated with the sets of punches for transporting the medium to be perforated, wherein the transporting means References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Potts June 29, 1937 2,456,740 Schuler Dec. 21, 1948 

1. PERFORATING APPARATUS COMPRISING A STORAGE MEANS, N SETS OF PUNCHES, MEANS FOR ACTUATING THE N SETS OF PUNCHES SIMULTANEOUSLY, SWITCHING MEANS AND MEANS FOR APPLYING N CODE COMBINATIONS SUCCESSIVELY TO A COMMON INPUT OF THE SWITCHING MEANS, WHEREIN THE SWITCHING MEANS IS CONDITIONED TO APPLY N-1 OF THE CODE COMBINATIONS TO SAID STORAGE MEANS AND APPLY THE NTH CODE COMBINATION TO THE NTH ONE OF SAID SETS OF PUNCHES SO THAT THE NTH SET OF PUNCHES IS CONDITIONED TO REPRESENT THE CODE COMBINATION APPLIED THERETO, AND WHEREIN SAID STORAGE MEANS IS ADAPTED TO CONDITION N-1 OF THE SAID SETS OF PUNCHES SO THAT EACH SET REPRESENTS ONE OF THE CODE COMBINATION. 